Brigadier-General Everard McLeod Blair was an Indian-born English soldier and cricketer.
19 Facts About Everard Blair
1.
2.
Everard Blair played in seven first-class cricket matches for Kent County Cricket Club between 1893 and 1900.
3.
Everard Blair was born in 1866 at Bangalore, then in the state of Mysore in British India.
4.
Everard Blair's father, Gustavus Blair, was a Colonel in the Royal Artillery.
5.
Everard Blair attended Cheltenham College where he represented the school in racquets and gymnastics as well as being in the cricket XI in 1883 and 1884.
6.
Everard Blair was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in February 1886.
7.
Everard Blair arrived in Alexandria in January 1916 and was appointed Chief Engineer for the Cairo District before being promoted to colonel and then temporary brigadier-general and made chief engineer for part of the Suez Canal between El Ferdan and Port Said, during which time he was Mentioned in Dispatches.
8.
In October 1916 Everard Blair was charge of water supply works to support the advance of British forces into Palestine.
9.
Whilst the works were ongoing Everard Blair was awarded the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1917 New Year Honours.
10.
Everard Blair was found medically unfit for services in February 1918 suffering from neurasthenia, a condition he had first suffered from in 1903.
11.
Everard Blair was found permanently unfit for service in July 1918 and retired with the honorary rank of Brigadier-General in August.
12.
Everard Blair played cricket regularly for the Royal Engineers Cricket Club until 1905, scoring over 500 runs in five seasons and captaining the side in 1892 and 1893.
13.
Everard Blair played racquets, winning the Army Doubles Championship several times.
14.
Everard Blair appeared in seven first-class cricket matches for Kent County Cricket Club, five in 1893 and one in each of the 1896 and 1900 season.
15.
Everard Blair was described as a strong defensive player "with plenty of strokes" who "bowled slow leg-breaks and fielded admirably".
16.
Everard Blair became a member of MCC in 1894 and played for them against Hertfordshire at Lord's in 1902.
17.
Everard Blair suffered from neurasthenia for the remainder of his life after retiring in 1918.
18.
Everard Blair lived in Bath and was supported by his wife Nora who he had married in China in 1902.
19.
Everard Blair died in St Andrew's Hospital in Northampton in May 1939 aged 72.